Sunday 16 October 2016

2016 Finish-a-long - Quarter 4 List

I'll confess now I'm listing everything that I may  work on - just in case I get the bit between the teeth and something I didn't anticipate becomes a finish. I only managed 3 finishes last quarter, 1 the quarter before (which I totally forgot to link up!) and I think 2 in the first quarter. I am both optomistic and realistice - I'll be ecstatic if I get 4 finishes out of this lot!

Now the weather has turned, I'm on a bit of a sock knitting kick, so I'll list those first:

1) A pair of Dk Adriafil Knitcol socks for me. I've turnedthe heels on both socks now, so I'm hoping these will be a speedy finish.



2) Another pair of socks for me - this time in Mothy and the Squid's Midnight Pumpkin Colourway ( please excuse my terrible yarn caking - as you may have guessed, it's the first time I've done this and I *might not* have set the ball winder up quite right....) - time is pressing as ideally I'd like to have these ready to wear before Halloween this year.

3) Christmassy socks for DS2 and
4) Christmassy socks for me - there's enough yarn here to comfortable knit both of us at least one pair each with contrasting heels and toes. (one pair each is what I'm aiming for)

5) Finishing my Oakshott City Lights Quilt - the binding is cut and pressed - no I have absolutely no idea what is stopping me finishing it either.

6) Disappearing 9 patch for my Mother in Law for Christmas. It's a surprise, so if I don't get it finished in time, I can make it a birthday gift instead.

7) The twin baby Quilts

8) Space Quilt for DS2 - hoping I can finish it in time for Christmas

9) Having survived making me Deer and Doe Plaintain T Shirt, I'm actually quite keen to get on and make this shirt. I'll definitely need to try find some time from somewhere for this - it's not going to be a project I can spend 5 minutes here and there on.

10) My Japanese Boxes cushion kit - I'm feeling the need for more cushions in the living room



11) DS1's curtains - maybe these should be item 1 on the list (except I can't sew curtains on the train)



12) DS2's advent calendar


13) A knitted jacket for my Mum.

Saturday 8 October 2016

Last Minute Finish!

It's too late to say anything other than I managed a very last minute finish!

It's my Deer and Doe Plantain T shirt with a complicated FBA!

On my 3rd qtr list Here

Last Minute Finish!

It's too late to say anything other than I managed a very last minute finish!

It's my Deer and Doe Plantain T shirt with a complicated FBA!

On my 3rd qtr list Here

Friday 7 October 2016

Stripy Seaside Fun

A few years ago, whilst on holiday oin Cornwall, DH and I found an extra long Beach screen for sale. Brilliant! We thought - now we only need to take one to the beach. How wonderful! How much more efficient! And promptly bought it on the spot.

All was well until later that day we headed, tired and sandy, back to the car - and discovered that the beach screen poles were, in fact, too long to fit in said car. Some jiggling (and perhaps some cursing), and some squashed up children later we fitted in it and headed home. Not wanting to waste the screen, the decision was taken to make a new canvas for it and cut down the poles. We found a fantastic stripy canvas fabric at Ikea - bought metres of  it and planned a super duper deluxe screen.

I did part stitch it some while ago - but my sewing machine really didn't like the canvas and heavy duty thread so it languished unfinished and unloved in a heap.

So I added it to my  3rd Qtr FAL list (item 12 to be exact) and dug it out again just before our holiday to Cornwall, and decided to try out my new (to me) Singer featherweight on it.It coped admirably (thankfully)

One finished beach screen later!



A finish!

Earlier this year I started knitting a pair of socks for my Instagram friend Pippa - of Pippa's Patch

Pippa had been wantinga pair of handknitted socks for a while - and although she's a fantastic patchworker, quilter, bagmaker and all round sewer, knitting isn't something she's done very much of.

I had what I thought would be the perfect sock yarn for Pippa in my stash - so started the super stripy socks! Turns out I get more than a little worried when knitting for somebody in another country whose feet I can't check against (especially when they're quite long but narrower than usual).So I added them to my 3rd Qtr FAL list ( Here ) and kept knitting away in spare moments.

I finished them and blocked them in time for me to send them to Pip just before she visited the UK in the summer


Please excuse the slightly odd photo - my sock blockers are too small for these socks!

Luckily they fitted perfectly, and Pippa loved them. Phew!

Linking up to Archie the Wonder Dog  and the 3rd qtr Finishalong